STUDENT GUARDIAN VISA (SUBCLASS 590)

This is a temporary visa for a person who needs to come to Australia to provide care and support for:

a student visa holder who is younger than 18 years of age

a student visa holder who is older than 18 years of age and who needs such care and support due to exceptional circumstances

This visa can be applied in or outside Australia:

at the same time as the student

after the student has applied

after the student has been granted their visa, in which case the student would have demonstrated that other welfare arrangements were in place to meet their visa requirements

General requirements

be a parent or person who has custody of the student, or a relative who is 21 years or older and has been nominated in writing by a parent or someone who has custody of the student

not bring family members younger than 6 years of age, except under certain circumstances

be able to provide accommodation, general welfare and other support to the student unless exempted

Other requirements

meet health and character requirements

have enough money to support oneself, accompanying dependant(s) and the student.

have adequate health insurance for oneself and accompanying dependant(s)

only stay in Australia temporarily

if applying in Australia, must hold an eligible substantive temporary visa

Financial requirement

The applicant needs to have enough money genuinely available to support oneself, the student and accompanying children for the duration of stay in Australia. The applicant is required to declare this in the visa application.

If the applicant is required to provide evidence of financial capacity, s/he can demonstrate this by providing one of the following:

evidence of funds to cover travel to Australia and 12 months’ living, course and (for school aged dependants) schooling costs for the student and accompanying family members

evidence of meeting the annual income requirement

The applicant must have genuine access to funds. The funds shown in the visa application must be available for use and must come from an acceptable source.

Health insurance

The applicant must provide evidence that s/he has enough health insurance for the duration of stay in Australia. This can be Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) or another health insurance product from Australia or the applicant’s home country that provides a similar level of cover.

Identity & relationship cocuments

The applicant must provide identity documents and proof of relationship with the student.

Genuine temporary entrant requirement

When the department assess whether the applicant plans to stay in Australia temporarily the department will consider:

the applicant’s personal circumstances in home country

the applicant’s potential circumstances in Australia

the applicant’s immigration history

anything else that relates to the applicant’s plan to remain in Australia temporarily.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. Under which condition(s) is a Student Guardian, when applying for Student Guardian (subclass 590) visa, exempted from providing accommodation, general welfare and other support to the student?

A Student Guardian, when applying for Student Guardian (subclass 590) visa, is exempted from providing accommodation, general welfare and other support to the student if s/he is applying for this visa with the support of the government in the home country.

Q. What are the pre-qualifying visas that an applicant must hold when applying for this visa in Australia?

If the applicant is applying in Australia, s/he must hold a current substantive temporary visa, but not one of the following:

Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) granted on the basis of the holder being a diplomatic or consular representative or of a foreign country

Transit visa (subclass 771)

Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the ‘Sponsored Family’ stream or in the ‘Approved Destination Status’ stream

Q. Under which condition(s) can an applicant bring children under six years old as accompanying dependents?

An applicant can bring children under six years old as accompanying dependents only if:

there are compelling and compassionate reasons

granting the visa would significantly benefit the relationship between the Australian Government and the government of another country. If this is the case, the applicant must be at least 21 and the student must be supported in writing by a parent or person who has custody.

Q. Can children six years old or older accompany the applicant?

Yes, children six years old or older can accompany the applicant but they must apply for their own student visa.

Q. Can an applicant provide care to more than one student?

Yes, an applicant can care for more than one student.

Q. Can there be more than one Student Guardian visa holder for a single student visa holder?

No, there can be only one Student Guardian visa holder per student visa holder in general.

Q. How much is 12-months’ living cost that the applicant must demonstrate?

The applicant must demonstrate 12-months living cost, as applicable.

Student Guardian visa applicant: AUD 19,830 per year

Child, if applicable: AUD 2,970 per year for each child

This is indicative of the cost of living in Australia. Actual living costs vary depending where the applicant lives.

Q. What is an acceptable source to demonstrate the availability of funds to support oneself and accompanying family members?

Funds to support oneself and accompanying family members must come from an acceptable source such as:

money deposits with a financial institution

financial institution or government loans

scholarships or sponsorships.

“You are very helpful and efficient. They helped me a lot and they are very professional. Good service and good quality. ”

Juan KingApplied for professional year

“Thank you for working on my visa over the last couple of months and for quick response when needed. I really appreciate your professional work ”